, 1887-04-28

near the m1ne1. me OkanOgan
river Is for6lable except during the
months of April, May and June. At
the present writing the only means
OF ferriage IL furnished by u Mr.
Ward up the river eight miles from
Armstrong's, where very small,
frail boat is used at q point on the
river where the stream IL very wide
and deep and the current impercep-
tible. Wild Goose Bill civilian
Condon) expected 10 have q large
and safe boat running by the first Of
May one mile above Armstrong;
crossing. In high water no one
should attempt to cross the ford at
Armstrong; without guide.
Three miles this side OF Salmon
City, on SCOTS creek, Is French's
ranch, but no accommodations for
the traveller are offered. The gen.
eral character Of the road Is that Of q
very easy grade, the steepest pull
going toward the mines being that
nut OF the Okan0gan, and coming
toward Spokane Falls the hills ris-
ing from tho Okanogan and the
Grand COulee.
Spokane Falls to Salmon City Is II
trifie ovar one hundred and nifty
miles. Messrs. Simms, Hayden
and Gober are now constructing u
ferry at the mouth Of Salmon river,
three miles down the Ok0nOgan from
Armstrong; Ford. 1t Is claimed
that the road when completed from
the mines along the bank of Salmon
river to its mouth will reduce the
distance a couple of miles and
81. auStnR URafln FNhiS
route Is expected to lie open In q
couple OF weeks.
Ellersburg Is really trifie nearer
the mines than Spokane Falls, and
her live citizens are making "a great
side. The distance from there VIA.
the mouth of the Met-how Is called
one hundred and thirty.five miles.
There ia a scheme on foot to put in
steamer ON the Columbia above
Priests Rapids at point but forty
miles from Ellensburg. II is pro-
posed that this boat shall run to the
mouth Uf Salmon river In high water
and to the mouth of the Okanogan
during the remainder of the season,
thus reducing the land travel to Atty
five miles as the minimum and sew
enty miles as the maximum distance
from Ellensburg. This project has
been carried SO far that the first forty
miles of the road has been graded
and the steamer Is promised this
season. 1t would be we'll for our
merchants to see to this matter.
WOOD AND TIMBER.
After crossing the Okanogan river
th n ROOD npa aHuul lv shofe IL, f<. N H. Oh c-
altitude and dense growth of tim.
ber, until directly at and upon most
Of the mines Is quantity OF timber
for mining purposes, SEEM
ingly inexhaustibie. From the snow
capped range to the west of the
mines and within q distance of five
to ten miles Is most luxu.
rious growth Of all the varieties Of
pine.
WATER AND PASTURE.
Both Ruby and Salmon River dis.
tricts are plentifally supplied with
the purest mountain water. Within
I stones throw of the Lady of the
Lake mine rests the beautiful SAL
mon Lake, nearly thousand yards
wide by some four miles In length
and Of undiscovered depth, shelter
Ing millions of mountain trout. This
lake empties through u narrow
less than mile long into
the south fork OF Salmon river at
city. The Indian name for
the lake Is Skli-o0-lum. In addition
10 the fish in the streams and lakes,
the timber Is alive with deer, bea6
and wild game such as duck pleas.
ant, grouse and mountain ibex. The
lbex Is found hero with all the form
and character of the Alpine spe-
cies.
The mines so far as discovered are
j BON the banks of the two forks of
the Salmon and margining lake
in the Ruby district.
This lake Is to the east OF Loop-Loop
river and separated from 1t by lofty
The mountains every
where in this locality are covered
with a fine growth Of bunch grass
which at the present time seems to
be in growth at least month ahead
of that in the neighborhOod of Spo-
kane Falls.
CLIMATE.
The climate Is milder than In Spo-
kane. But twelve inches of snow
fell last winter and the thermometer
was rarely below zero. Cattle .snd
horses did we'll in wintering there.
The absence Of high winds strikes
the trayelor agreeably after just
passing across the wind swept Big
Bend section. There are no indica.
tiOns Of snow slides on these heavily
timbered mountains. ts..r'
BUSINESS.
There is not much doing in the
line Of business. There Is at Salmon
City a hotel built of hewed logs,
containing dining room, kitchen
and barroOm-no floor but the orig.
inal soil. There are benches for
chairs, oil cloth table covers and q
pine counter. Mr.. McGilvery 10 the
host aHd dispenses meals at fifty
cents and drinks at twenty-five
cents each. There are several cab
ins and few tents along the main
street Of the town. Up the creek
half mile another Little settlement